An emerging trend in today's society is the use of physical gestures and voice to control devices such as mobile phones, tablets, portable gaming units, personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet computers, etc. These devices allow the user to enter commands using various motions, touch, and voice commands. As the use of such devices continues to increase, users have become progressively dissatisfied with devices that incorporate conventional controls units, such as a remote control that are infrared based and must be pointed at the device associated therewith. Although recent trends have led to the increased availability of radio frequency remote controls that do not require a direct line of sight to the device, the convenience provided by, for example, touch based device interfaces remain unmatched.
One such example involves the use of set-top boxes which provide entertainment to a household. Such set-top boxes often utilize a remote control unit to control content and navigate through various menus. For example, the menus may allow a user to select music, video programs, customized settings, etc. Additionally, set-top boxes allow users to integrate different component devices together in order to further enrich their entertainment experience. The use of multiple component devices, however, has a disadvantage of increasing the number of remote control units required for a user to control all of the component devices. Furthermore, if a remote control is misplaced, all features of the associated component device may not be readily accessible. As the use of newer interfaces increases, users often look to upgrade to newer products that incorporate such changes. Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an approach to provide an interface which allows control of a set-top box without the need for a physical remote control unit.